Refilling-preventing stopper.



W. M. SPENDLOVE & K. FOLDEAK.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

al fozucq COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.,wAsmNo1'oN, D. c.

' s ra'rns rnr WALTER M. SPENDLOVE AND KALMAN FOLDEAK, OF BROCKVILLE,ONTARIO, CANADA.

REFILLING-PREVENTING STOPPER.

Application filed May 5, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, (1) WALTER M. SPnNDLovnand (2) KALMAN FOLDEAK, (1) a citizen of the Dominion of Canada and (2)a subject of the King of Hungary, residing at Brockville, in theProvince of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Refilling-Preventing Stoppers, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inrefilling preventing stopper.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a stopper for such acontainer as a wine or liquor receptacle, the same being arranged toprevent a refilling thereof after the original contents have beenextracted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cheap device capableof being instantly locked within the neck of a fluid container whereby asmall quantity of the fluid is trapped within the bottle neck and anytampering with the bottle structure or'its contents may be readilyascertained, while the structure prevents any refilling without somemutilation of the structure.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out inthe appended claim.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which likedesignating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout theseveral views :-Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional viewthrough a bottle neck provided with the present device. Figs. 2 and 3are transverse sectional views of Fig. 1 taken upon lines IIII andIII-III respectively. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the valves,and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the valve weight.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, it will be seen that the neck10 of a bottle 11 is illustrated of substantially the usual form andhaving an annular groove 12 encircling the inner portion of the neck andadapted to receive a split locking ring 13 automatically therein whenthe tapered valve cage 14 which carries the said ring in a similarannular groove 15 is forcibly slid inwardly within the neck. The saidcage 14:

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915 Serial N 0. 26,166.

is thus locked by means of the said ring 13 within the neck of thebottle. The cage 14; being tubular has a central bore formed into anouter and inner valve chamber 16 and 17 respectively by means of aninner end cap 18 having a central opening 19 therein and a substantiallycentrally positioned partition 20 having a central opening 21, the saidpartition and cap being substantially of the same form and dimensions,it being noted that each of the same is retained in place by means of ascrew threaded engagement with the cage.

Each of the chambers 16 and 17 is provided with a valve of the formillustrated in Fig. 4 and consists of a rectangular plate 22 adapted toflatly seat over the openings 19 and 21. Corner posts 23 areperpendicularly arranged upon the plates 22 and are adapted forpreventing a tilting of the valves and to guide the same in theirmovements as well as to limit the extent of opening movements thereofand preventing the plates from engaging the oppositely arrangedperforated members which engagement would close the outlets for thebottle contents. A washer weight 24 is arranged within the outer chamber16 in normal engagement resting upon the free ends of the valve guideposts 23 when the bottle is normally positioned upright. The outer endof the cage has an inwardly tapered flange 25 for providing a centralfluid outlet 26 of substantially the same diameter and positioned inaxial alinement with the openings in the cap and partition and thecentral opening 27 in the washer weight 24:.

The manner of positioning the valve cage in its locked engagement withinthe bottle neck has been heretofore described, the normal position ofthe elements being illustrated in Fig. l. lVhen desired to pour out thecontents of the bottle, the bottle is tilted or inverted which movementunseats the two valve plates 22 from the openings 19 and 21 and allowsthe fluid to freely pass therethrough and also through the weightopening 27 and the cage outlet 26, it being understood that the washerweight 24 is slidably positioned within the cage bore, but fits the samewith sufiicient closeness to prevent any tilting of the washer weight.When the contents is extracted it will be evident that any attempt toforce fluid into the bottle through the neck would result in closing thetwo valves which would prevent the entrance of any fluid, while thevalves would be further retained upon their seats by their own weight,when thebottle'is positioned upright. It will be also impossible toinsert any instrument withinthe cage so as to hold both of the valvesunseated at the same time, the complete device thereby preventing anyunauthorizedrefilling' of the bottle after the original contents thereofhas been removed.

lVhen the bottle is filled for the purpose of sale, this is done beforethe improved stopper zis inserted intheneck thereof and after the cagehas been locked in place was described, the'innerchamber 117 -.is filledwith fluidby slightly inverting'the bottle and this small quantity offluid will remain trapped therein until the bottle contents is removedunless some tampering has been had with the inner valve for the purposeofrefilling the bottleunauthorizedly jsothatthe absence of fluid fromthe chamber 17 Woulddemon- Copies of vthisvpatent may beobtained forshown and described is what is believed to be the preferred embodimentthereof, it is nevertheless tobe understood that minor changes may bemade therein without departing from the splrit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

the cage, a cap fltted within the inner end,

of the cage, a partition secured within the cage and forming an innerfluid trapping chamber between the said partition and end cap, saidpartition andend cap and flange having axially alining similar sizedoutlet openings therethrough, rectangular valve plates mounted uponcorresponding outer faces of the said partition and cap, outwardlyprojecting guide posts perpendicularly carried by the corners of thesaid plates,:and a perforated washer weight normallyiseated upon thefree ends of the guide posts of the outer valve when the cage is initsaupright position, the said weight closely fitting within the cageand having a central fluidoutlet opening therethrough in constantaxialalinement-iwith and being substantially the same diameter as theaforementioned outlet openings.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signa-' tures.

W ALTER M. SPENDLOVE. KALMAN FOLDEAK.

five cents each, by addressin g' the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 110.

